Chatwal, Indian Americans to bid for Gandhi memorabilia

New York, Mar 4 (PTI) Leading Indian American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal has said that he along with some of his friends of Indian-origin, will bid for the personal items of Mahatma Gandhi that go on auction here tomorrow.
Personal belongings of Gandhi — his metal-rimmed glasses, pocket watch, a pair of sandals and a plate and bowl — will come under the hammer at the auction house Antiquorum Auctioneers here.
Chatwal said he and other well wishers were ready to cough up upto a quarter of million dollars to acquire the items and then transfer them back to India.

“I would like to go even to a quarter of a million dollars, USD 300-400 thousand. This is not big money, especially when you want to buy it with among 8-10 friends and give it back to your country — India,” he said.

“Any Indian should buy it and the purpose is to buy and send it back home. The auction is online, on telephone and we of course will be physically present,” he told CNN IBN.

Meanwhile Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Tushar Gandhi said in Mumbai that India should ensure that the items are brought back to where they belong, even as the Indian government asked its diplomats in the US to do everything that is required to bring the articles back.

“Stopping the auction is one thing but ensuring that what belongs to India comes back to India is a totally different ball game,” he said. PTI